Where Were They?
by GreekEMTSlytherinSpriteFairy
Summary: Everyone can remember where they were on September 11, 2001, but does anyone know where the heroes of CSI: NY were? This is my take. Each chapter is a different character. Please read and review! I own nothing!
1. Lindsay

~~Lindsay~~

"I cannot believe I drew the short straw, again!" Lindsay's boss, Derrick, whined as they made their way up the long driveway. There were only three CSIs in Bozeman, Montana.

"Suck it up you big baby. We might actually get something good" Lindsay responded. They almost never get called out and when they did, it was either a false alarm or a suicide. The team had started drawing straws to see who would go. Derrick rolled his eyes.

"This is Bozeman, Montana Lindsay. We are the police department's paperwork team. They don't take us seriously not to mention the fact that no one is ever murdered in cold blood in this stupid town." Lindsay stiffened in her seat. "Shit, I didn't mean that Linds, I just meant that we don't get anything good. I don't know why I don't let your partner come with you" he tried to reason. Lindsay let a small smile grace her lips.

"Because you actually hope the next call we get is a 'good one'" she answered using quotes around her words. Derrick chuckled.

"That and I don't trust Josh" he joked. Lindsay's smile brightened.

"Then why did you hire him?" she asked. It had only been the two of them for a while, until Derrick introduced the newest member straight from college.

"The state wanted us to have at least a three member team" he responded. She had known that. While the secretary, Alice, showed Josh around, Derrick had told Lindsay what he was doing and told her to be nice to her new partner.

"I know, but I meant why did you hire Josh specifically? I mean he almost blew up the biology lab his freshman year of college. After that he wasn't allowed in that building! But we hire him to do chemistry for something that could convict someone of murder!" Derrick chuckled.

"Trust me; the other candidates were a lot worse. I had one girl interview that came in popping her gum and had a police record the length of my arm" he responded. Lindsay nodded because she remembered that girl. She was talking with Alice in their part of the police precinct. Every other word out of that girl's mouth was the word 'like'.

"I, like, totally, like, remember, like, her" Lindsay mocked as she twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. Derrick laughed loudly at her interpretation. He pulled his red pick-up in front of the house and went around the front to meet up with Lindsay, who had both kits with her.

"Alright, professional Linds. Quick once over to investigate what we have then we confer. Got it?" Lindsay nodded. They worked well together and had done so since she had graduated at the top of her class and got the job in Bozeman, her home town. They entered and saw a woman lying face down in her own blood at the dining room table, while a young man was found not far away with the gun in his hand.

"Murder- suicide" they replied in unison. They nodded before starting their work. In the background the uniforms were watching the TV that had been left on. The two CSIs ignored them for the time being, enjoying the fact that they could do their jobs without teasing.

"Can't we just count Alice as part of our team and let Josh go? I mean he takes up a desk and is absolutely no help to us. Not to mention Alice has a degree in Chemistry" Lindsay said breaking the silence. Derrick paused before nodding.

"That would work then you and Alice could each have a desk" he answered. Lindsay let out a breath of relief. They were given the very back corner in the precinct. There were only two desks and a small office for Derrick, which was where they had coffee and their own little kitchen.

"Excuse me, but I think you may want to see this as well, before you continue your work Derrick" the only cop on the force who didn't annoy them, Terry, said. He led the way through the small crowd of police officers for the CSIs. They stopped short and watched the moving screen.

"…the World Trade Center was hit. Only minutes later was the second tower hit. Moments later, both towers fell creating the disaster site behind me. No one knows the casualties yet, but the NYPD and the FDNY are working to try and find survivors in the wreckage. There will be more…" the news woman trailed off. Lindsay and Derrick had both stopped listening.

"Can you guys estimate a T.O.D.? I think we may have found a motive…" one of the officers asked in a somber tone. Derrick made his way back to the couple to try and see if the attacks on America were the cause of this couple's demise. Lindsay stood in shock watching the screen. Her uncle and aunt lived in New York City, but nowhere near the towers.

"You alright Linds?" Derrick called out. All the men in the room stopped moving, looking worriedly at the young woman. She turned and nodded, not realizing the tears running down her face. "No you're not. Head outside, I'm almost done then you can take the rest of the day, alright?"

"I'm sorry" she whispered, now realizing the tears. She left the house and stood beside the truck. Before she did anything else, Lindsay found a spot out of the way and lost her breakfast. She wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and pulled out her cell phone.

"Hello?" an older voice sadly asked. Lindsay let out a sigh of relief and gave a small smile.

"Hey Uncle Freddy. I just heard the news and I wanted to check on you guys. How is Aunt Marie?" Her uncle sucked in a breath before she could hear the sobs.

"I… I don't know Linds. I let her go for a walk by herself. We always go together! The route goes past the towers. I tried calling her cell, but she doesn't answer, which isn't like her at all Linds! I… I don't think she's with us anymore" he sobbed. Lindsay sucked in a breath and sighed when Derrick rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"Have faith Uncle Freddy. I need to go, I've got some evidence to process, but call me when you hear anything, ok?"

"Ok Linds, but please be careful beautiful girl" he said softly. That was his special nickname for his niece.

"I will. Call me later" After several assurances and goodbyes, Lindsay hung up and turned to Derrick with red puffy eyes. "Can Josh help you? I need to go talk to my parents." Derrick nodded.

"Of course honey. Take all the time you need" Derrick said as he helped her back into his pick-up and headed back to the lab.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

The next day:

"Lindsay, could you pass me that swab?" Josh asked as the processed the evidence from the murder suicide. She had come back to her job after a few hours of breathing room. Just as she grabbed the swabs, her phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out after throwing the swabs at Josh.

"Uncle Freddy?" Lindsay asked in anticipation. She heard sobbing over the line.

"They found her… Linds they found her body" he choked out. She dropped her phone and distantly heard the clatter as it hit the tile floor. She was gone. Aunt Marie, her loving Aunt Marie, was killed by terrorists on her morning walk. She was numb.

"… Lindsay?" Alice called worried. "I just heard a noise and she hasn't responded yet. I'm worried Derrick!"

"Lindsay… talk to me. Honey I need you to talk to me" Derrick said gently as he led her to a bench in the hallway. Lindsay was staring to comprehend her surroundings and noticed almost the whole police department watching her.

"She's dead. My aunt died. She was caught on her morning walk as the towers fell. She is dead" she said shakily. Everything stopped and went deadly silent; only Lindsay's sobs could be heard. Derrick pulled his younger CSI into his chest and held her like a child. Terry pulled his hat off and the officers who had theirs on took them off as well. They held a moment of silence in the precinct for the loss of human lives on that fateful day.


	2. Jess

~~Jess~~

"Oh come on Matt! I can't believe you don't remember Jennifer Lunty! You dated her for six months! How can you not remember?" Jessica laughed as she heard one of her four older brother's sigh.

"Are you sure I dated her because I really…."

"Yes! I know you dated her! I am 100% sure! Ask dad, or Owen, or John, or Dillon! They'll tell you the same thing. She was short, had braces, long brown hair that was always in pigtails… she went by Jenny back then…" Jess stifled her laugh as she could picture her brother thinking very hard. "Don't hurt yourself" she joked.

"Oh! I remember her! She had the weird eyes right? We couldn't tell if they were black, purple, or brown" Matt said. Jess laughed.

"Yes, that's her, but I definitely wouldn't bring that up on your date! If you think she's quote hott with two ts unquote, then maybe it'll work this time, although it is you we're talking about" Jess joked.

"Ha ha" Matt deadpanned. "How come I don't see you settling down then?" Jess sighed.

"With my job I don't have time to date. Not to mention I just haven't met the right man yet" Jess said. She was about to add more, but she heard the alarm over the line. "Are you leaving me?"

"Jess… Jesus Jess… the World Trade Center… both towers… they just fell Jess. I've got to go" Matt said hanging up. She threw the phone wherever it landed and hit the power button on the remote for her TV.

"…a plane was hijacked and hit the side of the pentagon as well as the World Trade Center. I just received more breaking news. Another plane had been hijacked, but the passengers took the controls back, making a crash landing in a field in Pennsylvania. There is no news as to the condition of the passengers on board. This picture we are showing now…" the screen flipped from the anchorwoman to a pile of trash. "…is all that is left of the Trade Center. Both towers completely fell. The FDNY will be working to find any survivors in the rubble…" Jess turned the TV and lights off as she grabbed her gun and badge, ready to help her city and country.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

"I'm sorry ma'am, but no one with out authorization…" Jess held up her badge. "Sorry officer. Can I help you find someone?" Jess whipped her head towards the man.

"Yeah do you by any chance know where I could find Matthew Angell? He's FDNY" she replied. The man nodded before pointing towards the rubble.

"All firefighters are looking for survivors in this mess. I couldn't tell you how to find a specific one though…" the man trailed off. It was obvious he was not a cop, but a civilian who had either offered or was recruited to help.

"That's all right, thanks" Jess said walking farther into what looked like the biggest crime scene ever. "I'd hate to be a CSI" she muttered to herself as she stepped over pieces of metal and ash. "Matt!" Jess asked as she carefully made her way over the broken buildings to where she had seen some firefighters. "Matt!"

"Jess?" Matt asked as he stepped out from under a piece of metal that was still standing. "What are you doing out here? You should be back with the cops!" Matt yelled as she walked closer.

"I want to help you Matt. I'm not a little girl anymore, but I'm not going to do traffic" she answered as she stood in front of his towering figure. Metal started groaning and Jess looked around only to see her brother's chest. Where she had been standing was now a sharp piece of metal that would have cut right through her.

"I know Jess, but you're still my little sister and I need for you to be safe. Please, go back out there and take over for the civilian or help the EMT. I don't care what the hell you do as long as it won't put you in any more danger than you already are, ok?" Matt reached his hands up and wiped away tears that Jess hadn't realized had fallen.

"Ok" she croaked. "Please be safe, please" Jess begged. She had a feeling something would happen to him.

"I know how to handle myself, little Angell. Don't worry" Matt called as he pushed her farther away.

"I love you" she whispered. Matt smiled.

"I love you too kiddo. Now go" Jess nodded and made her way back to the man.

"Hello sir, I was coming to take over for you so that you could head home to your family" the man sighed.

"Thank you" he whispered before ducking under the tape that had been put up for civilians and walking away, but not before casting one last look at the destruction in front of him. Jess could hear metal groaning from where she stood, about a half mile away from the place where Matt was. She turned and watched as another metal piece of the tower fell. She could hear men shouting and knew that something had happened. She let the tears fall freely as she watched men try to lift the heavy metal.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

Three days later:

"The death toll from the tragic event that happened only days ago has risen." _Again_ Jess thought to herself angrily. "The total now comes to…" _What does it matter? Tons of people died before their time._ "Also included in the count is FDNY and NYPD officers who lost their lives in the line of duty."

"Why don't you just read off a list of freaking names?!? I'm sure the families of those who died aren't hurting enough! Why don't you just add to their pain?" Jess yelled. She threw her remote against the wall and watched as it shattered to pieces. Just like my heart Jess thought wryly. Jess slid down the counter she had been leaning against and pulled her knees to her chest. She buried her head in her legs and wailed. "You told me you could handle yourself! Dying doesn't count Matt!"

Matt and three other firefighters had been trying to rescue someone, who they were pretty sure was dead, when the metal crashed down on them, crushing them to death.

"Come back big brother. I need you" Jess whispered. She remembered the moment she had found out it was Matt and probably would for the rest of her life.

"_Jess?" one of Matt's coworkers asked. She loved spending time at the station, just to bug them about the NYPD being the best. She looked him dead in the eye, her tears still falling._

_"It's him isn't it? Matt's dead isn't he?" Jess asked trying to remain brave, but failing as her voice cracked twice. He nodded._

_"I'm sorry Jess, but Matt, Drake, and Tony were all crushed by the metal. They didn't even have a chance. I'm sorry" he whispered. She nodded her head silently. "Why don't you head on home? I can take over here for a while" he suggested. She shook her head._

_"No, I'm staying. I need to do my job, for Matt" she said turning back to her post even more determined._

Jess pulled herself back from the worst moment in her life. She continued to wife until an hour ago, when Chief Sinclair himself told her she had to leave for a while. No one wanted to let her alone, but she assured them all that she was fine. She wasn't so sure about that now. She should have asked her partner to help her through this, but she needed time to grieve.

"I love you too kiddo." Matt's last words to his little sister rung throughout Jess's head and she would never forget them.


	3. Adam

~~Adam~~

"Adam get up man! You've got to get to your class soon!" a loud voice yelled at the nerd. Adam sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"What time is it?" he asked his roommate, Eli.

"About 8:45" Eli responded automatically. Adam jumped up and headed for the shower.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Class is across campus and it starts in fifteen minutes!" Adam yelled hoping around, trying to get his things together.

"Sorry, but I'm not your keeper. Besides, you kept me up half the night playing video games with you and I just woke up" Eli replied shrugging. Adam shot him a dirty look.

"Because you didn't enjoy actually playing against someone other than the computer" Adam replied sarcastically as he grabbed the towel hanging off the back of his desk chair. Eli shrugged.

"Well, I did, but you're old enough not to need your mom to wake you up" Eli jabbed. Adam gave him the finger as he ran around the corner of his dorm, hoping there was a free shower. He turned it on quickly, hoping that someone had just used it so it wouldn't be so cold. It was just his luck that it was freezing.

"Shit" Adam yelled as he started to wash himself. After lathering up his hair, the water started to get warmer, but not nearly fast enough. As soon as he toweled off and got changed, he ran back to his room and threw his towel on his bed. He glanced quickly at the clock. 9:15. "Eli, was I in the shower that long? Eli?" he asked looking at his roommate. Adam started to worry. _Forget the class_ Adam thought as he watched his best friend.

"Have you seen the news yet?" Eli asked. Adam shook his head.

"No I was sleeping then I jumped in the shower, why?" Adam asked confused. His worry became more evident as Eli let one tear slip and he pointed to their small TV sitting in the corner. Adam turned his attention to it, finally noting it was on, but muted.

"… the towers fell, most likely killing everyone inside. There may be a few survivors. The NYPD and FDNY are all working towards trying to find and help these people…" Eli said letting Adam hear the gist of what was going on. He looked at the screen in confusion, hatred, and sadness.

"Oh my God, all of those people and their families! I can't imagine what it would be like for them…" Adam said trailing off at the end as he watched a helicopter view of the destruction.

"I know what they are feeling. I'm going through it" Eli whispered as he let more tears fall. Adam was temporarily confused until he remembered when they first met and talked about their parents.

_"Alright parents" Eli brought up. It was his turn to pick out a topic to talk about to get to know each other better._

_"My dad beat the crap out of me, but it was better than him touching my little sister. My mom didn't care about either one of us. She was a druggy and an alcoholic. I stayed home until Carry was old enough to leave home because I couldn't let him touch her, ever" Adam said solemnly. He wouldn't take his eyes off of the spot on the wall where there was a small dent. "I have OCD" he blurted._

_"I do too. We will be the best roommates. I'm sorry about your parents. Mine would love to have you and Carry come for the holidays and whatever, if you guys don't want to go home" Eli offered. Adam nodded, finally pulling his gaze from the wall._

_"I might have to take you up on that. What do your parents do?" Adam asked curiously. He was majoring in forensic science while Eli was majoring in criminal justice._

_"I don't know for sure, but the work in the World Trade Center in New York City" he answered. Adam nodded._

_"I went there once on a field trip. It was in fifth grade, but it was absolutely boring" Adam said laughing. Eli joined him before they continued their talk well into the night._

"Oh my God! Eli… I… God would I suck if I said I was sorry?" Adam asked. Eli gave him a tight smile.

"I can't get a hold of them. Normally when they see it's me, they answer right away. If they can't pick up then they at least text me telling me that they will call me soon, but I haven't heard from them" Eli said panicking.

"Did you try your house phone? Or maybe your neighbors?" Adam suggested. Eli had told him that his community was tight knit. "Maybe they took today off, but they went for a walk and left their cell phones at home?" Adam said, but made it sound more like a question.

"I tried both of them, but Mrs. Allrich said that they left for work this morning as usual" Eli said curling his knees up to his chest. "I've lost them haven't I?" Adam stood there. His friend was in so much pain knowing that he had probably lost both of his parents in a horrible attack on America, but Adam didn't know how he could help.

"I don't know Adam, but I promise I will help you get through this" Adam whispered. Eli gave him a small smile before he buried his head into his knees and sobbed. Adam didn't realize he was crying, but when he felt himself shake, he realized the sobs were raking through him.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

Two days later:

"Eli Uley?" a security guard asked. He had opened the door, hoping to see his parents playing a trick of some sort on him, but was greeted by a security guard.

"Yes, is this about my parents?" The officer's eyes softened as he nodded. Eli and Adam both knew that it wasn't good news.

"They found the floor where your parents worked, but the plane crashed straight through it. I'm sorry, but there is no way anyone on that floor survived." Eli walked back to his bed and curled up into a ball.

"Thanks" Adam said as the security officer watched the boys. He nodded.

"No problem. Is there anything I can do or help you with?" Adam glanced back to his best friend.

"I don't know." Adam sighed. "I'll call someone if I need help" he said shutting the door behind the security guy. "Eli?" He didn't make any sound so Adam walked over and pulled his friend into his arms, letting him sob on his shoulder.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

Three days later:

"Eli! I'm back! Class sucked! Eli?" Adam yelled into the dorm room. He became worried when he didn't hear a grunt or anything. He walked in to see Eli sitting in a puddle of his own blood. There was a note lying next to him that had Adam's name written across the front. Adam picked it up.

_Adam,_

_I'm sorry about doing this to you, but I can't live knowing that my parents died for nothing. You and your sister can have all of my crap (not that you'll want it). You were the best friend I have ever had and I'm sorry for putting you through this hell. You are a great person. Don't worry this is for the best. Now I can be with my parents again. Thanks for trying to understand._

_Eli Uley (your best friend forever)_

Adam folded up the note before taking note of his friend's slit wrists. He put the suicide note in his pocket before he picked up the phone and dialed the campus security and told them what happened.

"I promise Eli, we'll always be best friends. Everything I do will be for you" he whispered to the air surrounding him and his first and only best friend.


	4. Aiden

~~Aiden~~

"Jeez! This machine takes forever to get results!" Aiden complained to herself. Somehow everyone else just happened to be busy when she had to process random evidence. It didn't take long at all, but she was waiting for the results of a DNA sample.

"Just think about leaving and having dinner with a boyfriend tonight" a lab tech, Ashley told her. Aiden jumped when she heard the woman's voice.

"Oh God! You scared the crap out of me!" she laughed as she waited for her heart rate to calm down again.

"Sorry, but I was walking in just as you were cursing the stupid machine for taking too long." Aiden nodded.

"Thanks for the advice, but I think if I actually think about tonight then I'll just want time to go by faster and annoy everybody!" she laughed. Ashley joined in nodding.

"Probably" she said. Aiden stopped laughing and actually took the advice. She pictured dinner and dancing, or maybe a movie, then ending the night with a kiss… or more. She snapped out of her daydream when the results came back.

"Wow! That actually worked! Thanks" Aiden said as she printed off the results that were absolutely no help. Ashley nodded and continued her work.

"What's his name?" she asked before Aiden had left.

"Matt… Matthew Winters. He's a fire fighter. So hot" she said giggling. Ashley rolled her eyes. She had heard stories about how bad Aiden had it when she got involved with a guy, but now she had her own experience.

"Well good luck…" Ashley started, but was interrupted by the loudspeaker. "We have a loudspeaker system?" Aiden looked at her shrugging.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have just received word that two planes had been hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center. The towers have just fallen and all police officers, fire fighters, and EMTs are asked to report to the site. I want all CSIs and lab techs here to get ready to process evidence. I'm sorry for all of the losses, but we must do what we can for those who lost their lives. We cannot let them die in vain." Aiden was shocked. Why would anyone do something like that?

"Matt" she breathed remembering that her boyfriend was running to do his job. She didn't have room to talk, seeing that she was a cop and carried a gun, but she hated that Matt always put others before himself.

"I'm sure he's fine. Just relax and help me clear all other evidence so that way this room will be ready to go" Ashley said, trying to deflect Aiden from the mental breakdown that she was about ready to have. "Call him first though, just to tell him that you love him and ask for him to be careful because he has to make up this date." Aiden nodded and pulled out her cell.

"Winters" he answered gruffly. Aiden sighed just knowing that he was still ok, for now.

"Hey, I just wanted to tell you I love you and I want you to be careful. You will need to make this date up to me someday" she joked. It brought a smile to her face when she heard him chuckle.

"I love you too and I promise I'll make it up. You be careful too" he said. Aiden smiled at his concern for her well being,

"I'll be fine. They want me here to process evidence, so if you get a break I will be able to talk, hint hint" she said.

"Duly noted. I've got to go. Love you" he said before hanging up.

"Love you too" Aiden whispered to the air. Once she had gotten over the initial shock, she helped Ashley to prepare for the chaos that was sure to come.

WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT

Eight hours later:

Aiden was right. Everything was a nightmare. All day she had processed piece after piece after piece of metal. Most of the time she couldn't identify what it might have come off of, but she did the best as she could. She was getting ready to go get a cup of coffee when her phone rang. It was an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Is this Aiden Burns?" She swallowed dryly. Nothing ever came from these types of calls especially when Matt hadn't called since he had promised he would earlier in the day.

"Yes, who is this?" she asked, listening to her voice crack from the unshed tears. The man on the other end sighed.

"I'm Matt's chief, Tadd. I called to inform you that Matt has just passed away from being crushed by a piece of metal" he said. Aiden's world stopped for a moment. "We got to him quickly and sent him to the hospital, but most of his organs had been crushed. I'm sorry for your loss" Tadd said before hanging up. Aiden just stood in the middle of the hallway crying her eyes out. She was normally not a very emotional person, but she knew that Matt had a ring for her.

"Aiden?" Ashley asked as she walked out of a room down the hallway. When she caught sight of Aiden's face, she knew what had happened. "Oh honey" she whispered, pulling the woman into a hug. Aiden let out heart wrenching sobs. After a time, she had calmed down enough to stand up and pull herself together.

"Thanks for listening to me. Not even my parents do that" she tried to laugh, but it came out wrong. Ashley smiled a little at her attempt at humor.

"How about you head home? I'll talk to Mac about it. I'm sure he'll understand…" Aiden froze.

"Oh my God! Mac" Aiden yelled as she turned to run down the hallway to find her boss. She stopped when he saw both Mac and Stella sitting by one of the windows sobbing. She knew that Claire had not made it. "You broke your promise to me Matt." Aiden said as she joined her bosses in crying for lost loved ones.

WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT

Three years later:

Aiden followed the DJ Pratt around. Mac would be upset that she continued this investigation without a gun to protect herself with. He had been painting an apartment when he followed a blonde tenant out of the building and down the street.

"Damn it" Aiden muttered as she kept a good distance between herself and her target. She had worked undercover and tailing before, so she knew what she was doing, or so she thought. She turned the corner and could not see Pratt or the blonde anywhere. She continued through the desolate street only to feel Pratt grabbing her from behind. This had been his plan all along. She fought and struggled, but mostly leaving clues for Mac to find and put the bastard behind bars for good because she knew that she was not going to survive.

Suddenly she saw Matt's face. He was smiling and laughing and happy. She wanted to be with him again.

_Hold on Matt. I'm coming_ she thought to herself as the darkness started to overtake her. She smiled once more when she realized that she would be happy with Matt and DJ Pratt would be convicted of murder.


	5. Danny

~~Danny~~

Danny laid silently next to Laura after the night they had. He wanted to find the one that would keep him on his toes, but also love him for who he is and what he had done in the past. He was tired of all the one night stands and going-nowhere-in-a-hurry girlfriends. He wanted the real thing, but fate was just not on his side.

"Mmmm" Laura sighed as she turned so her back was now to Danny. Over the night her head had laid on his chest so his movements were restricted. He could now get up to use the bathroom and take a shower. He gently stood up so he didn't wake up his newest girlfriend.

"Mmmm" she sighed again as Danny tiptoed through her apartment so he could start the coffee. He was excited that he had the day off. It had been a long time since he had asked Mac for one because Stella and Aiden needed personal time.

"I'll take a shower later" he told himself as he grabbed a cup of freshly brewed coffee and sat down in front of the living room. He flipped on the TV and searched for something good to watch.

"Ugh, there's nothing on" he complained. He heard Laura in the bathroom and cursed himself for waking her up. After deciding to just turn on a news program, Danny was in shock by what he saw.

"…The World Trade Center has fallen due to the impact of the hijacked planes. The rescue teams are working hard to find any survivors, but the hope of finding anyone is slim. The NYPD and FDNY are trying to reach out and contact any civilians who wish to help…"

"I'm glad I didn't go to work today" Laura said from behind the couch. Danny stood up and went in search of the rest of his clothes. After grabbing everything and throwing it on haphazardly, Danny gave Laura a peck on the cheek before running to the door. "You're leaving? Seriously?" Danny stopped and turned around.

"What am I supposed to do? I'm just supposed to sit here and watch as America is being attacked in our city? I have to go help."

"Daniel Messer if you walk out that door, we're through for good!" Danny looked at her in shock. She was definitely not the one for him.

"Well then I guess I'll give you your answer without waiting for all of the suspense. We're through" Danny said slamming the door behind him. He raced down the stairs and through the lobby of his, now, ex-girlfriend's apartment building. Danny decided against trying to get through with his bike, so he ran the ten blocks to where the buildings used to stand.

"Look at the mess!"

"How could anyone survive?" Danny heard the chatter increasing as he got closer.

"Watch where you're going!" a man yelled as Danny raced through the crowd and accidentally knocked into someone. Danny didn't even acknowledge him as he got closer to where there were now two empty spaces where the World Trade Center used to stand. The crowds got thicker and he was having trouble getting past them.

"NYPD! Move please! NYPD! Coming through!" he yelled as he ran through the crowd that was now parting just for him. He saw six uniforms keeping an eye on the crowd, so he held up his badge and ducked under the tape, between two cones, ready for action.

"Messer!" Don's captain yelled. Danny made his way over to the man and took a deep breath as he looked over the extent of the damage.

"Shit" he breathed. Eric just nodded. "I'm going to need a bigger kit to process all of this by myself" he joked trying to lighten the atmosphere. He hated whoever had done this to his city.

"Yeah, sucks to be you right now" Eric joked back. "Alright time to get serious" he added as Danny nodded his consent. "Get safety equipment from the fire department then I want you to see if you can find the airplane's little black box. We need it, but I'm warning you now, it will be hard to find." Danny nodded willing to search the Atlantic to bring justice to those who lost their lives. He picked up the necessary equipment and listened to the instructions before he set off in search of the little piece of evidence.

"This is going to be like trying to find a fiber in an auditorium" he muttered to himself. He looked around realizing that he had no idea where to start. He looked around and found some guys standing around. "Do you know which direction the plane came from?" The group of three turned and saw his CSI jacket on over the safety gear.

"Everyone says it came from that direction" one said pointing almost south. Danny nodded.

"By any chance do you guys know where the buildings actually stood?" The three men looked at the rubble and shook their heads.

"You can try and find remains, but most of it was damaged, why?" Danny nodded.

"I'm trying to find the black box and it would make my job easier if I could find the point of impact then I could find the trajectory" he explained. The men looked at him then laughed.

"I'm glad that's your job, not ours" one of the men called. Danny nodded.

"Well you could help, jerks" he muttered to himself before he continued to search through the rubble. Hours later, Danny still continued to look, but still could not find the small object. The only help he received was from one firefighter who would only help the CSI pick up heavier objects.

"Messer!" Sinclair yelled as he started to wander to where the disaster happened, followed by several men dressed in FBI apparel.

"Yes sir?" he asked as he wiped some sweat from his forehead on his arm. Sinclair stopped for a moment to adjust to his surroundings.

"Homeland security and the FBI are going to take over looking for the black box. Go home and rest after briefing them Messer" Sinclair said before walking back to clean land.

"Why does he do this job if he doesn't even care?" Danny muttered to himself, but quickly realized that the higher powers had heard him by the smirks on their faces. "I've started from where I concluded the point of impact was and started working my way out, moving in a circle, clockwise."

"Alright, that was a smart thing to do Detective Messer. Thank you for starting our search and we all agree with you about your chief. Why don't you head on home and get some rest?" the leader said.

"Do you need any help? I don't mind staying…" Danny said. The leader smiled and looked around.

"Help would be great, but why don't you go rest first? I'm sure we won't be done by the time you go home and get a few hours sleep" he smiled. Danny nodded before he started to walk away.

"By the way, I started making a pile of pieces of airplane for you. It's over there…" Danny said pointing to a small pile a little ways away. "And my name's Danny Messer."

"Thank you Danny. I'm Jimmy and this is Mark, Brian, John, and Bill" he introduced. Danny nodded before walking back to the beginning of the disaster area. Once he had ducked back under the tape, Danny took one last look at where two of the greatest towers in America once stood proudly. Danny took the badge off his belt and let his fingers explore the details and contours of the object, almost like he was blind and seeing his badge for the first time. Danny hastily stuck it back in his pocket then walked back to his place.

_Why do we do what we do if we can't protect the people of our city?_ Danny thought to himself as he let loose a few tears for all of the victims of the day.


	6. Don

~~Don~~

"God could today get any worse?" a fellow officer at the homicide precinct whined. Don chuckled.

"It's not that bad. At least we don't have to do anything to hard. I mean it is just paperwork" Don said shrugging. One of Don's coworkers and friends, Joe Scagnetti, laughed.

"Right Donny boy, but nothing happened last night so everybody is looking for some action. We finished our paperwork and look where that leaves us. You're doing the crossword puzzle. Mike's making a house of notebooks, Jeff's got the sports section, eight guys are watching old surveillance tapes, and I just finished the paperwork for the guys who are sick. Face it, it's boring." Don nodded.

"Yeah, but what else are we going to do?" Everybody in the squad looked at each other and shrugged. "You are the ones who are bored and I have to find something for you guys to do?" Don asked for clarification. Everyone nodded. "Alright… what is a seven letter word for a synonym of absolve?"

"Who the hell would know…?"

"Forgive" an officer shouted. Scagnetti looked at Don.

"Does it fit?" Don looked and nodded before he wrote it down.

"Alright… what is…?" Don trailed off as the radio crackled to life.

"Attention all emergency responders, both on and off duty, an airplane has just hit one of the WTC towers. There are reports that the other one has been hit. Wait… they have both collapsed. We need all emergency responders to report immediately…" the dispatcher's announcement continued, but no one heard it because they were all making their ways to cars.

"Take as few cars as possible. It will be hectic down there as it is, but fit as many people as you can, including a few in the trunk." The men nodded before eleven people squished into each of the SUV. Don hopped in the driver's seat of his car and waited as Scagnetti, Mulligan, Captain O'Brian, and another officer piled in.

"Thanks for taking charge Don. I had to talk to Sinclair" O'Brian said from next to him. Don nodded and concentrated on making his way through the crowds of cars and people gathered around to see. The sirens didn't seem to affect them. "Drive on the sidewalks. I don't see anybody up there, but just be careful; you're leading three other SUVs from our precinct."

"Yes sir" Don said as he drove over the curb of the city sidewalk and drove down the street. He watched in his mirrors as the other SUVs plus some fire trucks, ambulances, and people from other precincts followed him. He made his way to where the crime scene tape was placed with patrol officers, cones, and barrels. Don pulled his car to the side, just enough so everyone could get by him, and went to talk to the patrol officers.

"Sir you can't come near…" the officer immediately stopped talking when Don flashed him his badge.

"Can we move these cones and crap? I've brought a bunch of help, but they need to get through" Don explained. The officer nodded as three uniforms moved the items to create a clear pathway. Don moved and flagged them forward. "That's all that I have with me, but I have my car I need to get through then you can close it." The officers nodded and watched as Don got in his car and pulled through. "Now what captain? We don't have fancy gadgets or equipment to help. Hell we only deal with dead people so we only have guns." Eric O'Brian nodded.

"I have a feeling they may let you borrow some equipment. Not to mention we will still be working with dead bodies" he said as they watched a first responder bring out a lifeless form. Don nodded and got out of the car.

"Alright, give us some safety crap then tell us where we need to go" Don said as the rest of his precinct lined up with him to help. The fire chief wearily nodded.

"Detective Flack!" Don excused himself and moved to where Sinclair had yelled for him.

"Yes sir?" Don asked confused. They had a national crisis on their hands and he was going to pull him?

"Do you know this young lady?" he asked as he quickly uncovered the body. Don sucked in a breath. "She asked me to talk to you and tell you she loved you and give you this back." Sinclair handed a small evidence envelope to Don, who took it silently. He knew what was inside, but just to be sure he opened the envelope and tipped the contents out into his hand.

"Where was her body found?" Don shakily asked as he played with the engagement ring in his hands.

"Almost out of the debris, like she was leaving, but she inhaled too much dust and ash" Sinclair answered. Eric was so confused as he watched the exchange. Don leaned over and kissed the young woman's forehead carefully. "Now, do you want to tell me how she knows you?"

"She was my fiancée. I asked her to marry me yesterday. She was going to take today off, but she had to drop something off. That's probably what she was doing when the attack happened" Don explained. Eric understood. The woman lying on the table was Katrina, Don's girlfriend.

"Can you handle being here Don?" Eric asked. He saw Don nod an affirmative before dismissing himself to go and help the rescue efforts.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

One day later:

"Don't kill yourself drinking" Eric joked as he joined Don at the bar. The younger man glared.

"This is my first and last one idiot. I know she'd want me to be happy so I'm not going to dwell too much on her death. Instead I'm going to celebrate her life. I'm going to move on with my life" Don answered. Eric smiled and clapped the man on his shoulder.

"Well do you mind if we celebrate together?" Don nodded. Eric smiled as he ordered a beer for himself.

"To be honest, I kind of like being ok with her death. I don't feel connected to her like I did a week ago. Does that sound like I'm glad she's dead?" Don asked.

"No Don, it sounds like you want her to be happy where she is now" Eric answered. The two men sat there drinking peacefully for a few minutes before Don's face broke into a smile.

"Did you see Sinclair's face when Mulligan asked if he was going to stop standing around and start helping out?" Eric's face broke into a huge smile.

"I thought you guys had given him a stroke and his face was going to be permanently frozen like that. I don't understand though! Why does he stand there?" Eric laughed. Don shook his head.

"It's not that he actually cares about anything having to do with that. He just wants the publicity so he can look good for his re-election" Don said. Eric snorted.

"Does he ever think about anybody but himself? He does realize he might want to consider that especially in his line of work…" Eric shrugged and took another long gulp of beer. Don took another swig of his then sighed.

"When are you headed back to Ground Zero?" Don asked. The cops and emergency response had named it so they knew what they were talking about. Eric sighed.

"Tomorrow morning. I'm reporting at 5 am. What about you, when are you heading back?" Don chuckled.

"I've got to head back soon. I've got the late shift so I'll see you when you start. This sucks, but I'm glad I got a moment to breath." Eric sighed.

"I know everything is ok, but it's also ok to be upset. We're at the front lines of one of the worst American tragedies. We see body after body being dragged by us, not like we don't see that every day, but this is worse than one body at a time. Don't get me wrong it's disturbing what we see, but this just makes everything worse for us and the fact that you lost someone you loved, it's ok. Just let it out Don" Eric said as he motioned to the bartender. "How much for the beers?" Eric asked as he reached into his pocket for money.

"Nothing for the heroes" he replied as he motioned to the badge that had shown itself as he reached for the money. The two men smiled and nodded their thanks before leaving. As Don sat in his car he let the tears silently fall.


	7. Sheldon

~~Sheldon~~

Sheldon Hawkes was setting up Mr. Abrahams for his autopsy. He had been brought in about an hour ago, but Sheldon was just finishing up another one.

"Alright Mr. Abrahams, let's see what killed you" he muttered. He switched on the radio and tuned it to his favorite station, Jazz. "Is this alright? Listening to Jazz music helps me work better." Hawkes chuckled at his antics.

"You're talking to yourself again" one of his interns said laughing. Hawkes looked up to see Mark, his intern, standing there with the proper tools.

"Hey Mark, come and meet Mr. Abrahams. He was brought in a little bit ago, but since I didn't have anyone to help me, he had to wait his turn" Sheldon smiled. Mark chuckled.

"Sorry, but unlike you, I don't get paid for overtime, so I don't work it" Mark said laying the sanitary tools on the table next to Jeffery Abrahams. He walked over to the sink in the back and washed his hands before he put on rubber gloves.

"Yeah well… you're just an intern, but I am the only licensed M.E. on staff. Instead of getting more cops who can't do diddly squat, he should hire another M.E. for the night shift" Hawkes explained. Mark nodded thoughtfully.

"Well… when I graduate I'll be sure to apply for the night M.E.'s position" Mark chuckled. Hawkes laughed and started to cut the 'y' incision on Mr. Abrahams' body.

"We hate to interrupt this song, but we just received word that the World Trade Center towers have fallen due to two hijacked planes crashing into them. The local police and fire departments are asking for help from close agencies. They are looking for any possible survivors as we speak…" Hawkes tuned out and stood over the body he was autopsying in shock. Mark ran to the bathroom in the corner and lost what he had just eaten for breakfast.

"How could this happen?" Hawkes muttered.

"My sister" Mark sobbed. Hawkes turned to look at his intern. His heart broke as he slowly walked forward and pulled the younger man into his arms. "Chelsea!"

"She might be ok. Why don't you call her and see…" Hawkes suggested as he pulled Mark off of the dirty bathroom floor. Mark nodded wiping his tears away so he could properly talk to his sister Chelsea.

"Hello this is Chelsea Saunders' phone. I can't answer right now, but leave enough info and I'll call you back shortly." Mark listened to his sister's voice over her answering machine.

"She told me she wasn't feeling well, but she had to give a big presentation at work so she decided to go. Her husband, Charlie, told me that she thought she was pregnant" Mark said, allowing his crying to continue. Hawkes could only look at the man in shock. They were never best friends, but they talked about their families. Mark loved both of his sisters, who happened to be twins, but he was closer to Chelsea. Amanda had moved to California for college and had loved it so much she ended up staying there.

"I'm sorry" was all Sheldon could offer. Mark nodded.

"I told her working in the twin towers would bite her in the ass one day. She went through hell to get where she is today. I can't lose her" Mark whispered. Hawkes' sympathy went out to the intern standing in front of him.

"There's a chance…" Hawkes trailed off. Mark shook his head.

"You know as well as I do that there is no chance that anyone on the tenth floor survived. They wouldn't be able to stand the pressure of the rest of the building falling on top of them. There's too much weight." Hawkes sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but Mark was right. "Chelsea told me to become a doctor and Amanda told me to be a cop. I decided to do both and become a medical examiner. Without their support, I would probably be an insurance salesman." Hawkes nodded.

"If she ends up… dead; you need to finish getting your license for Chelsea. Do it for her" Hawkes said. Mark nodded. He would become a medical examiner for Chelsea.

WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT

Four days later:

"Doctor Sheldon Hawkes" Mark said from behind the man who was cutting into a patient. Hawkes smiled and turned around.

"Mark Saunders, my favorite intern. What are you doing here? I thought today was Chelsea's funeral?" Mark nodded as he stepped forward. He had received a call from Charlie the day after the towers fell.

"Yeah, well… it got too sentimental for me. It was all I could do to not cry" he said walking forward. "So… who's this?"

"This is Mr. Polo. C.O.D. is blunt force trauma to the head" Hawkes explained. Mark stepped forward.

"I just wanted to let you know, my internship will be done soon, but since I'm here I wanted to thank you. You have been the best friend that I never had. I truly appreciate your help and leadership. Thank you for being my mentor." Hawkes smiled.

"Of course Mark. I'm glad to have met you" he said.

"Well… I'll let you get back to Mr. Polo. I should head back before my parents learn that I've disappeared." Hawkes laughed and watched as Mark left.

WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT

Two years later:

"… Mark Saunders, bachelor of science in medical forensics. He wants to dedicate his journey through college to his sister Chelsea, who was killed on September 11, 2001. He wants to take after his mentor, Doctor Sheldon Hawkes, and become a medical examiner for the NYPD…" Hawkes stood up and applauded. He was so proud of the accomplishments that Mark had completed. After the graduation had finished, Hawkes waited in front of the gym where NYU had held its graduation.

"Hawkes!" Mark yelled once he had spotted the older man. Hawkes smiled and pulled Mark into a hug.

"Congratulations man! You did it!" Hawkes said smiling. Mark's smile widened.

"I'm glad you came" Mark exclaimed. Suddenly a man cleared his throat. Mark looked behind him to see the rest of his family. "Oh sorry, Hawkes this is the rest of my family. Guys this is my mentor and my hero, Sheldon Hawkes. He was with me when I received the news about Chelsea and he helped me through my breakdown."

"Hello, it's nice to finally meet you. Mark talks a lot about you" Hawkes said smiling. The oldest women of the group came forward and pulled Hawkes into a hug.

"Thank you for helping my son" she whispered in his ear. When she pulled away, he smiled and nodded.

"So what are you doing now a day?" Hawkes smiled.

"I've moved on to CSI. We have a new M.E. that you'll love. He tells weird and creepy stories sometimes, but he's very loyal" Hawkes said. Mark smiled.

"Great!" Hawkes was about to ask about taking the family out to dinner, but he was prevented by his cell phone alerting him of a text. He looked at it to see a location for his next case.

"I've got to go, but congratulations! I'm so proud of you Mark! I'll see you around!" he called over his shoulder as he made his way to his SUV, getting ready to help out the next victim.


	8. Sid

~~Sid~~

"Sid could you come and help me for a minute?" Jenny called out to her husband who was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper and drinking his coffee. Sid took one last sip and started to fold up his paper.

"Coming!" he yelled back. He threw on his shoes and walked to the back garden. "You know once I had to dig up a man from the ground before I could perform an autopsy?"

"Sid, honey, what did we talk about your stories?" Jenny asked as she sat back on her knees. Sid smiled guilty.

"Sorry, I know that you love me, but you'd rather not hear my tales" he sighed. Jenny smiled up at her husband of too many years to remember.

"That's right. I love you, everything about you, but I really don't want to hear about what you do. I appreciate the work that you do, but sometimes it gets a little creepy babe. You have a tendency to connect to some pretty weird stuff" she explained. Sid nodded before kneeling next to his wife.

"I know, but none of the Jersey cops, CSIs, or other M.E.s want to listen to me either." Jenny hid her laugh by turning it into a cough.

"I know babe, but one day you will find someone who wants to listen to your interesting stories. That day will be here before you know it" she said rubbing his back soothingly. Sid sighed again.

"Maybe it will" he agreed before he started digging where Jenny had pointed out where she wanted the flowers. Jenny smiled lovingly as Sid listed each plant he planted and its scientific name.

"I love you" Jenny blurted. "I'm sorry I don't listen to your stories, but sometimes I think it may be you or Rachel or Becca lying on the table next. I just relate your stories to someone I love" Jenny explained. "I know it sounds crazy, but maybe your craziness is contagious. I don't know!" Sid laughed.

"I understand, I go through the same thing that you do. I see girls that could pass for your twin, or I see a young girl who acted just like our daughters at their age" he explained. They continued their work in silence for a few moments before Sid smirked. "My craziness is contagious?" Jenny and Sid both laughed.

"You know it's true! Don't try and deny it!" Jenny laughed. Sid looked hurt.

"Do you love my craziness?" he asked, while making a fake pouty face. Jenny laughed and took his face between her two hands.

"I love all of you, you crazy, insane, loveable, M.E. who just happens to be my husband" Jenny said before she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Come on, I need some coffee. I started at like six this morning without any caffeine" she explained as she stood up and started to walk inside. Sid followed her obediently.

"Maybe my craziness is wearing off on you" he joked. Jenny laughed softly as she poured a cup of the luke-warm liquid. She added two spoons of sugar and a little cream before she turned and sat next to Sid at the counter.

"I was trying to get it done before it got too hot out, but that did not work so well. I can't believe this Jersey soil is so hard and dry!"

"Babe, it's been the same soil since we moved here. It has always been so hard. You just happened to start planting things after months of no rain" he explained.

"Do you ever not… hold on" Jenny started, but was stopped when the phone rang. She read the caller ID quickly before answering. "Hi Jamie, what's up?... Not yet, why?... Ok, I'll give you a call back after I've seen it… Alright, bye…." Jenny looked down at the phone in confusion before turning to Sid.

"What did Jamie want?" he asked as he took a sip of his coffee. Jenny looked at the phone quickly before standing and moving into the living room and turning on the TV.

"She said we should watch the news. There is apparently something big going… Oh my God!" Jenny started as soon as Sid had followed her. Sid froze at her exclamation. He turned his attention to the TV in time to see the World Trade Center towers fall.

"… planes were hijacked and crashed into the towers. Just moments ago you saw the towers fall from the impact. The rescue teams are searching the rubble for any signs of survivors. They ask…" Sid was in shock. He had a friend that worked in the twin towers, who had gone to work this morning. He, his wife, and their daughter lived next door.

"Dana and Leah" Sid said racing out of the house, followed by Jenny who also wanted to check on her friends. Sid opened the door without knocking. "Dana? Leah?"

"S… Sid?" a shaky voice asked from the kitchen area. Sid and Jenny made their way to see the girls sitting watching the phone, waiting for the call. "Have a seat." Sid and Jenny both sat next to the girls.

"Have you heard anything?" Jenny asked gently while she held Leah against her chest. Dana shook her head as she watched her daughter break down through her own tears.

"I was talking to him then everything went dead. Leah and I always watch the news for a little bit and we saw that the towers fell and they don't think many… lived" she whispered. Sid nodded.

"Let me call my friends in the PD. They'll know what's going on and see if they can find Tom, alright?" Dana nodded in confirmation. Sid kissed each of the girls on the top of the head before he made his way over to the phone. He dialed a number from his cell.

"O'Brian" the man said over the phone.

"Captain, this is Sid Hammerback from the M.E.'s office. I am looking for someone that was in the towers" he said. Eric sighed over the phone.

"Hello Dr. Hammerback, I'm sorry for my rude behavior, but I'm just a little stressed as you can imagine. I don't know much about any survivors we have, but I'm afraid the most likely outcome is that he didn't make it, but if you give me their name I can check around and see what I can find, then I'll get back to you" the man responded.

"His name is Thomas Fields, but he goes by Tom. He works on the eighth floor. You can call me at this number if or when you get any information."

"He was on a lower floor, so he would have been buried longer. I'm going to take a guess here and apologize now, but I'll still check just in case." Sid sighed heavily and looked back at the women at the table.

"Thanks captain" Sid muttered.

"I'm sorry for your loss and for his family's. Please send them my regards and tell them I wish I could do more for you." Sid thanked him again and hung up the phone.

"Sid?" Jenny called. He turned to them with tears in his eyes. He shook his head.

"No one thinks he would have been able to make it. I'm sorry girls" he whispered. All three women broke down in sobs, but Sid could do nothing as his own crying was inhibiting him from moving to help the others.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

Two weeks later:

"Sid, Jenny, we just wanted to thank you both for all that you have done for us, but Leah and I have decided to find an apartment closer to my parents' house. This place just has too many memories of Tom for us to try and deal with his death" Dana announced after dinner. After Eric called back later that day, Dana and Leah had starting spending more time with the older couple. Sid nodded and looked over at Jenny who smiled and nodded, despite the tears in her eyes.

"When are you leaving?" Sid questioned. Dana looked away from them.

"Tomorrow" she whispered. Jenny sucked in a deep breath, but Sid just nodded. He stood and pulled Dana into a fatherly hug.

"You know where to find me. Don't hesitate to call for anything, about anything, or at any time. We love you like our own daughters" Sid told her. Dana hugged him back tightly. Jenny and Dana shared the same embrace, but talked a little longer than Sid did. They were all going to be alright and pull back from the disaster that occurred on September 11, 2001.


	9. Stella

~~Stella~~

"I told him that you wouldn't like it, but no… don't listen to the woman who has taste and knows what his wife likes" Stella said as she sat on her cell phone in her office. She only had paperwork to finish and was happy to see her best friend calling.

"I don't understand. It's not like we haven't been together for years! What on Earth possessed Mac to buy me a fluffy pen for my office?" Claire laughed. Stella smiled. She and Mac were partners and good friends, but it was truly his wife that brought the two closer together. Mac was always stubborn and cold hearted at work, but he was a completely different person at home.

"I think it was actually part of a bet. Aiden bet Danny twenty bucks that Mac would not buy you a fluffy pen. He didn't want to let Danny win this one since he won the last one so… you got stuck with a fluffy pen!" Stella laughed along with Claire.

"God! I've been waiting for this stupid elevator for hours! Well… ok only like ten minutes, but come on, I want to actually get paid today!" Claire complained. Stella smiled widely. She still didn't understand how someone so together, like Mac, married someone so free spirited and fun, like Claire.

"Is Mac rubbing off on you? Do you actually want to go to work?" Stella teased. Claire worked in the World Trade Center and she would call Mac every night on her way home to make sure Mac was leaving and she didn't have to stop and kick his butt.

"Nah, but I want to go shopping this weekend?" Claire said, phrasing it as a question directed towards Stella. They were shopping buddies.

"I'll pick you up at 8" Stella replied. She heard Claire squeal and she laughed.

"Awesome! The elevator just arrived and I have a shopping partner for this weekend" Claire said. Stella heard Claire groan. "The elevator just stopped."

"Don't you just have all the luck today? Something good happens then something bad" Stella laughed silently.

"The ticket wasn't my fault! And at least the officer only gave me a warning!" Stella let out a loud laugh.

"Only because a higher ranking cop is your husband!" Claire huffed at the accusation.

"Maybe it's because I'm…." Stella looked down at her cell phone.

"Claire? Claire?" Stella started to worry until she remembered that her friend was on the elevator and might not get good reception there. "I'll just actually do work for a few minutes." Ten minutes of paperwork later, Stella dialed Claire's cell again only to find out it had been turned off.

"She never turns her phone off. Not even in meetings" Stella muttered as she started to make her way to Mac's office. As she walked by the break room, the news was on and Stella became frozen to the spot.

"…the twin towers, turning it into rubble. Some say their family called to tell them that the planes had been hijacked, but they couldn't do anything to stop them. Many lives have been lost, but the FDNY and NYPD are still searching for survivors in what they hope to not be a fruitless attempt…" Stella tuned the rest of the program out as she moved to a window that normally had a great view of the towers, but now only had a large pile of trash.

"Please be ok Claire. We're going shopping this weekend remember?" Stella whispered shakily to the window. She slid down to the floor sobbing. She was sobbing for her friend, for all the people who had died, for all of the stress that would come as a result of it, and for Mac's well being.

"Stella?" a husky voice asked. Suddenly strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her to his large comforting chest. The pair stayed holding each other and sobbing for over a full hour. Nothing would ever hurt more than the fact that they will most likely never see Claire's smiling face again.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

Two days later:

"Police and rescue teams are going to be calling official deaths tomorrow afternoon. They believe that no one would be able to survive…" Stella turned off the TV. She couldn't take it. It was 8 on Saturday. She should have been sitting inside Mac and Claire's little apartment watching as Mac laughed and drank his coffee while Claire ran around getting ready because she had forgotten they were going shopping. Then she would have had to wait while they said goodbye for ten minutes. They would finally leave for stores at 9.

"I can't sit here any longer. I'm going to continue my plans for today and just pretend that Claire is sick, or something…" Stella said trying to convince herself. She nodded and got ready to go.

"Knock knock!" Stella said entering the building. Mac looked up from the newspaper he was pretending to read and stood when he saw Stella ready to go somewhere.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly. He didn't want to be mean, but he missed Claire so much and remembering their normal Saturday routine was just too much for him to handle.

"Oh, I… I guess I'm just used to our normal Saturday. I didn't even mean it. Sorry" Stella said as she looked around the apartment. "Why don't you come with me? I was just going to go for a walk" Stella explained. That wasn't her original intention, but if it would help Mac, then she would happily change her plans. She was surprised when he nodded and threw on his shoes and grabbed a coat.

"Let's go through Central Park" he said as they left the apartment. Stella nodded and walked quietly to the park and part of the way through it. "Let's rest for a moment." Stella nodded and sat down on a nice patch of grass. Mac sat quietly next to her.

"We should make this our new routine. I can't just pretend that nothing's changed. I mean you saw what happened this morning…" Stella laughed softly at the last part. "You know she'd have our butts if she knew we were having such a hard time dealing with her… death." Mac chuckled.

"It just wouldn't be Claire if she wasn't kicking our butts about something." Stella and Mac both laughed knowing that it was true.

"I don't want to believe that she's really dead" Stella whispered softly. Mac nodded.

"Me neither. I'm waiting for her to walk in the door and tell me it was all a joke" he admitted. Stella nodded knowing that she was waiting for the same thing. "I miss her. I don't want to believe she's gone, but I know science and there's no way she can still be alive, but I don't want to let her go" he admitted softly. Stella nodded.

"I know, but just because we acknowledge she's dead, doesn't mean we'll forget her. She'll always in our hearts. She will always be with us." Mac nodded and gave his best friend a hug which she returned gladly. "We can do this together."

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

One month later:

"I understand…. Thank you for calling…. If you need anything… no ok. Thank you again…. Goodbye" Mac whispered as he set his work phone back in its cradle. Stella was extremely nervous. He had motioned her in and told her that it was the rescue workers.

"Mac, what did they say?" Stella asked letting some tears fall. She knew that after this time there was most likely no hope in finding her body. She had been declared dead a while ago which broke Stella.

"They can't find her body, but they are going to send some ashes for us to scatter, like remains" he said. Stella let the tears she had been trying to hold back fall freely.

"She's really gone!" Stella wailed. Mac was no help for anyone seeing that he had not slept since the worst day in American history.


	10. Mac

~~Mac~~

"I hate paperwork" Mac mumbled to himself. He had wasted most of the morning filling out a folder full of papers to arrest one guy for graffiti. He had his TV on low so he could stay informed on what was happening everywhere else.

"Do you want any coffee?" a lab tech asked as she poked her head into his office. Mac smiled and nodded. He didn't know every tech's name, but he knew enough to get what he wanted out of people. His Marine tactics and attitude helped too. Katy, the tech, returned a few moments later holding a cup of coffee with two sugars in it. "Here you go sir" she said handing the cup over to her boss. Mac took a sip and noticed Katy was still standing in front of him.

"You didn't just come to bring me coffee, so what can I do for you Katy?" he asked leaning back in his chair motioning for her to have a seat in one of the ones opposite his. She sat stiffly and played with her hands.

"Well… I needed to tell you… I'm pregnant sir" she said. Mac looked taken a back. He didn't know Katy was in a serious relationship.

"Oh. I didn't know you were serious with anyone and you're not the kind of girl to sleep with just anyone" he analyzed. Katy sighed and looked at the floor. Mac understood completely.

"Did you tell anyone?" he asked gently. Katy shook her head. "Why not Katy? He could be out there doing the same thing to another girl right now." She whipped her head up to look him straight in the eye.

"You don't think I know that? I tried telling one of the detectives downstairs, but I couldn't prove it, so they blew me off. My parents think I'm weak because I do the science portion of law enforcement instead of using a gun. I don't need them to pity me because I was raped" she hissed. Mac looked down at the papers he had been filling out previously.

"You're right and I'm sorry Katy" he said. She understood that he was serious.

"Thanks. I came to hand in my two weeks' notice so you don't have to fire me…"

"I'm not going to fire you Katy, but you will need to take maternity leave" he said. Katy nodded with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Mac. I love my job, but I was afraid you were going to force me to leave because I was pregnant." Mac nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll tell you what, since you work with some of the most dangerous chemicals, when your doctor tells you to stay away from them, you can be my secretary, how does that sound?" he asked. Katy's eyes brightened as she nodded. Mac smiled and was about to dismiss her when the TV caught his attention. He turned the volume up.

"…informed that two hijacked planes have just crashed into the World Trade Center towers. No one knows… This just in! The twin towers have collapsed! Here is live coverage from what the rescue teams are calling Ground Zero. They will be starting their search for any possible survivors…" Mac tuned out the rest of it.

"No" he cried as he reached for the phone on his desk and dialed the familiar number.

"Hello this is Claire Taylor's phone. I'm a little bust right now, but if you leave…" Mac hung up. Claire never turned her phone off so it shouldn't have gone straight to voicemail. She couldn't be dead, it just wasn't possible.

"Sir, what would you like for me to do?" Katy asked taking over her position as secretary for the head of the crime lab. Mac looked at her, but quickly looked away when he saw the similarities between her and his Claire.

"She's gone isn't she Katy?" he asked. Katy took it as a rhetorical question and kept her mouth shut even though she knew there was a slim possibility that Claire was still alive. Mac wasn't the same person when Claire was around and the whole lab knew it. Everyone loved when she came over because their boss would be in a better mood and Claire would always bring in some baked good.

"Sir, what do you want me to do?" she questioned again. Mac looked at her and knew that she was just trying to help.

"Nothing Katy, just go back to DNA" he responded. She nodded and turned to leave when Mac stopped her. "Actually, could you let the rest of the lab know what's happen to the towers and turn the TV in the break room on to the news please?" Katy nodded and left. Mac was lost. He didn't know what to do. He looked out over the lab, his lab, and saw Stella sitting next to a window that used to have a perfect view of the twin towers. He walked to her and pulled her into his arms. Claire was her best friend so she was hurting just as much as he was. They sat there for what seemed like forever crying over their lost loved one.

**WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT**

Five years later:

Mac had a whole new family. He had lost his Claire that fateful day and the rescue efforts had not been able to find her body. It made him feel guilty when Reed, Claire's biological son, asked where she had been buried.

"Mac! Earth to Mac Taylor!" Danny yelled as he waved his hand in front of the man's face. Mac blinked and brought his head out of the clouds.

"Sorry, what were we talking about?" he asked. Stella smirked. He thought that he would never come close to loving anyone as much as he had Claire, but he had fallen in love with Stella over the years. Of course he still had yet to tell her, but he had fallen in love again.

"Mac!" Don shouted this time. Lindsay couldn't hold back her laughter as her boss kept daydreaming.

"Sorry! I was thinking about things!" he explained.

"Geez Mac! I thought the only thing you could think about that would take that much of your attention would be work, which was what we were discussing by the way" Sheldon explained. Everyone else snickered because they knew that Hawkes was right.

"I was thinking about other things. Now what were you saying?" he diverted the attention to other places.

"Alright I was saying…" Danny said, play glaring at his boss "…that the killer was leaving almost no trail. We have gone over all of the evidence and nothing is making any sense." Mac nodded and looked around the room. This was his new family. He was the 'father' figure and Stella was the 'mother'. Then there were the kids: Danny, Lindsay, Jess, Don, Hawkes, Adam, and Aiden. Reed was another 'child' they took under their wings, but they didn't see him often. Sid was considered the crazy old 'grandpa'.

"Mac!" Lindsay yelled exasperated. Mac blushed as he looked at the open case file on his lap.

"Sorry!"

"Anyway I said that I found tree sap on the vic's pants that I'm trying to trace back to a specific type of tree, but that's hard because of the chemicals they used to treat it. I'll let you know when I find something…" she explained. Mac nodded.

"Do we have anything concrete?" The team looked at each other.

"We're meeting at Sullivan's a nine?" Danny offered. Mac smiled shaking his head.

"That may be, but I meant do we have anything concrete on the case?" Everyone shook their heads. Mac nodded and stood. "Lindsay stay on the tree sap. Jess and Don, you guys see what you can find on any of our suspects and the vic. Danny, Hawkes, and Adam, recheck everything we've collected to see if you can find anything new." That was how Mac worked through the tragic events of the worst day in history. He had his family and work to bury himself in and drowned out the pain of losing Claire.


	11. Sullivan's Bar

~~Sullivan's~~

"I can't believe it's been eight years" Stella sighed as she sat down next to Mac. He put his arm around her and sighed.

"I know, as weird as this sounds, it seems like just yesterday when I had the talk with Katy about her being pregnant. Now Claire's almost eight!" he exclaimed. Katy had had her child and named her after Mac's deceased wife. The team was meeting up to honor those who were lost in the September 11th attack.

"Did you two start reminiscing without the rest of us?" Danny asked as he slid into the booth across from Mac and Stella. Lindsay handed him Lucy before sliding in next to them. Don followed suit and pulled up a chair. Sid, Jenny, Adam, and Hawkes all joined soon after that.

"Alright, I'll go get a round of beers" Don announced. They had all been worried about him after Jess's death, but he had decided to try and make the best of things. Don brought back the drinks and handed each person one.

"Alright to Claire" Mac said.

"To Chelsea Saunders" Hawkes added.

"To Matt Winters and Aiden Burns" Stella said.

"To Tom Fields" Sid said.

"To Eli Uley and his parents" Adam said.

"To Aunt Marie" Lindsay said.

"To Jess and her brother Matt" Danny added.

"To Katrina" Don added. They all raised their glasses and toasted those that they lost in the World Trade Center attack.

"Who would have thought that we all lost someone on September 11? That seems like more than a coincidence" Lindsay observed. Mac and the others nodded.

"Maybe it's fate" Adam said. Mac looked around.

"Maybe, but I think it's more like destiny. I think we were destined to work together and mourn those we lost and to become a huge dysfunctional family to help each other through it. We were meant to be together" Mac finally assessed. They all looked around and smiled.

"Maybe, but I guess we'll just have to find out what the future holds for us" Stella added.


End file.
